Restoring the missing link between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades could mean re-engineering the River of Grass to bypass a sugar mill and a new U.S. Sugar ethanol plant, water managers revealed Thursday.

Construction could stretch over 20 years to build the reservoirs and water treatment areas to restore flows between the lake and the Everglades, according to the South Florida Water Management District.

The state’s proposed $1.75 billion buyout of U.S. Sugar Corp. would provide 187,000 acres to help the reconnection.

But another sugar giant, Florida Crystals, owns 35,000 acres in the targeted area, which includes the Okeelanta sugar mill and power plant.

The district proposes land swaps, trading U.S. Sugar land not needed for restoration in exchange for Florida Crystals property.

On Thursday, the district unveiled its options if it can’t reach land deals with Florida Crystals and other owners.

Also Thursday, U.S. Sugar revealed it had initial talks with Coskata, an Illinois company interested in opening an ethanol facility beside the Clewiston sugar mill.

If the Everglades restoration plan can accommodate the ethanol facility, that could bring a new industry to Glades communities worried about losing U.S. Sugar jobs.

“We will see what is possible out there,” U.S. Sugar Vice President Robert Coker said.

One option would shift the restoration west, avoiding Florida Crystals’ mill and leaving sugar cane land near the mill in agricultural production. That could also avoid land envisioned for another ethanol facility at Okeelanta and possibly a new industrial distribution center in the area.

A second option calls for avoiding land swaps by using property the district owns and plans to buy from U.S. Sugar. That would require costly engineering, which could include enlarging canals to move more water south.

Florida Crystals had “very positive” initial talks with the district about a month ago and remains open to the possibility of land swaps or sales, said Gaston Cantens, the company’s vice president for corporate relations.

The district intends to sell U.S. Sugar assets, such as a sugar mill and citrus plant, not needed for Everglades restoration. District board members are pushing for a simultaneous purchase of U.S. Sugar holdings and sell-off of the unneeded assets.

“I am not going to support spending $10 more acquiring those assets than we are going to sell them for,” board member Michael Collins said.

Florida Crystals has had talks with the district about acquiring the U.S. Sugar mill and also would prefer a simultaneous sale, Cantens said.

Andy Reid can be reached

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Ethanol plants, mill considered

One option would shift the restoration west, avoiding Florida Crystals’ mill and leaving sugar cane land for agriculture. That also could avoid land envisioned for another ethanol facility and possibly a new industrial distribution center.